Coldest Winter
by DasOriginal
Summary: Seimon is a city that blends the Yin and Yang perfectly, with the heroes of the day that fights the villians of the night. But one day a cult that praises a long forgotten good finds an ancient power that resides in deep slumber deep underground that split it into two individual beings from it's soul, One that held all the power but remained in it's slumber at which it's consiounes
1. Frostbite

Coldest Winter

By Das_Original

Act I

"A first chapter is never good, that why it's the beginning you make it great"

Chapter 1: Frostbite

The stars littered the sky in dazzling lights like tiny white dots on a black canvas, The city was covered in lights that mirrored the stars and tall buildings that reached towards the skies like a finger scraping the edge of space at the top of skyscraper with a red neon-sign saying 'Sapphire inc', from the top of the building were multiple figures locked in a duel of four-vs-one until the tallest man in a white cloak jumped off the building to escape but a smaller girl latched onto him in mid-air plummeting towards the ground, the man in the white cloak pulled her over his shoulder and hit her so hard it could crack steel the curled his body around hers so she wouldn't feel the shock of them hitting the concrete below and bouncing back up like a trampoline which slid them towards the inside of a small cafe; the pain like wildfire inside his body..

"Your welcome," he said as she groaned lifting himself to his feet leaning against a nearby table as he finally noticed where they landed; the book/coffee shop inside the raven academy.

"How the hell?" His eyes scanned the room for exits finding several until they rested on the stumbling girl.

"Mhm stop in the name-" falling into a crawl she could barely breathe with a tight chest from the shock.

"-of..law-people" using his right arm he grabbed his shoulder to crack his arm down making it completely numb.

"New to this?" His hand got covered in a sheet of ice which he pressed against his cuts with a hiss as she crawled towards the shops counter to lean against it.

"How'd you know?" She's still delirious with her head spinning in circles

"There's no such thing as law-people" sucking in her teeth audibly, he stretched his arms out resulting in multiple cracks and relief in his back feeling like he jumped into a cold pool in the hottest day of summer, the man had a rectangle like body with brown skin, eyes that glowed a faint silver, and raven black medium-length-hair, wearing a white cloak under two shoulder pads, over a dark blue jacket, a white dress shirt, red tie, cargo pants and black boots with metal plating.

"Oh, Really?" She said disbelievingly at the thought, using her hands to brush her light brown hair, slightly tanned fair skin with peridot green eyes her straight body figure wearing a light blue tank top with small plates of metal over her stomach and shoulders with sport shorts under a green pencil-skirt and a butterfly pin in her hair; her face wrapped in a plastic-like metal that shone in the moonlight.

"Yeah" twisting his neck with another crack he stood on his feet a thin layer of ice to stop the bleeding helping heal the wound.

"What's it like being evil?" Turning to her he stumbled on his feet to the door then decided to catch his breath against the door

"Is that what they say?" When she nodded he took note of their willingness to teach their students about who's evil and who's not

"If I'm so 'evil' why did I save you" Confused to his words she spoke up her eyes finally set straight staring at him earnestly

"'Save me?'" his words felt like it flew over her head until she thought about it a second time he saw the visibly uncomfortable look that comes across her face, out of the corner of his eye he saw a shadow move then disappear for a split second.

"You Damn heroes and your unquestionable loyalty, naive I say" some moments of tense silence later he felt his instinct talking to him, whispering things words passing like the wind filling his head but as it kept talking he finally heard it. Looking up he saw a purple portal of swirling black like food coloring being dropped into a cup of milk, then a woman wrapped in a skintight black bodysuit dropped from inside the portal sending a kick to his head throwing him over a coffee table.

"Agarra a la niña" she said landing on her knee, her skintight suit fit her pear like figure with pitch black hair as another portal ripped from above the hero and a tall buff man landed on her; he stood at seven ft wearing dense dark armour similar to a black knight with a red feather, throwing her over his stubbed armoured shoulder.

"Hey let me go!" She squeezed her fists and her hands glowed into a white light and she smashed them into his back which did no effect

"Niña true colour," he said his voice was deep and sounded like it echoed through an unseen hallway.

"Por Eso Ella cuesta tanto" as she replied, he vaulted over the table gripping his hand around the edge and swinging it like a frisbee hitting her in the head which threw her to the wall that looked like it sunk her inside like quicksand as she flew through it.

"Isabella!, pedazo de mierda" the man threw the girl towards his partner and charged towards the younger man throwing the first punch which he caught with both arms putting an uncommon strain on him but couldn't block the second one that hit his back then kneed him in the stomach and uppercut him in the air grabbing his foot to swing him into a table

"Vas an Ir al Infierno for esto" pushing himself slightly he twisted his neck towards the man spitting blood from his mouth.

"I swear people try to look more ridiculous these days" punching the ground it created a small shockwave lifting his entire body upwards which he twisted his body and swung a right hook into the man's chin which only made his neck snap to his right and a crack in the smaller man's knuckle making him grunt in weekend pain.

"¿Cómo se site?" grabbing the smaller man's smooth shoulder he cracked into under pressure as he flexed his fingers into a fist and swung it so hard his head bullet dived into the ground as the larger man still held his shoulder and threw him upwards and when he fell back down he kneed his stomach and used his forearms to break into his back then let him fall down.

Staring at the unmoving body the larger man kicked the smaller one's ribs lightly which turned him over still unmoving as the woman walked through the hole with a now unconscious girl over her shoulder looking at the body

"¿Hecho?" She said facing the man who lifted the other man by his shirt to his height

"¿Hecho?" He said letting go until the smaller man's hand gripped onto the larger man's arm and palm punched his throat making the bigger man choke and then he swung the buff arm like a monkey bar onto the larger man's arm as the woman dropped the girl she tried to leap towards him but the man dislocated her jaw with a kick and dug his feet into the larger man's back a light blue chain of ice appearing from under his wrists which he wrapped around the man's neck yanking it back choking the man further. The man ran into multiple tables trying to get the smaller man off and tried slamming his back into a wall but he used the wall as a footstool to pull himself up and swing back down smashing into his spine sending him to his knee which helped the smaller man pull harder, dragging him back a few feet and spun him once letting him fly through the air to the wall which was a temporary relief as the woman shoulder checked him into the broken pile of tables. Looking up the cloaked man saw the woman stare him dead in the eyes with her hand on her jaw snapping it back in place.

"muerto" she said dead quiet that he barely picked it up before she jumped a foot in the air stomping her foot in the ground where he was a second ago having dodged, she swung with her right hand which he blocked in kind and repeated the same action as she followed continuing their respective swings, blocks and punches to each other going back and forth until she tried to overhead roundhouse kicked him, which he caught an inch above his head, grabbed it slamming her into the ground behind him then dragged her back in with the same leg and curb stomped her face creating a spider web-like crack below.

"Mierda," she said with her voice muffled by the heel of his boot which left its spot by the uppercut from the bear of a man that charged towards him. Catching himself mid-air he backpedalled landing on his knee facing the duo as the woman stood hands on hips next to the man who was cracking his knuckles.

"Your messing with the wrong guy here," the cloaked man said standing slowly turning his foot away staying low.

"Héroe estúpido" he charged first after he's partner spoke towards the smaller man catching him in a stalemate which the woman broke by digging her heel into his rib pushing him to the side which the man wrapped his hand around the smaller one's neck and slammed him into the ground with a jab and the woman broke a chair onto his head. A few minutes later and the smaller man became a bloody pulp by the chairs, tables, fists and stomps pushed onto him mercilessly but then the man felt them stop as the girl from earlier used her light covered hands to right hook the woman and uppercut the bear which did nothing to the man but made the woman stumble back far enough for him to kick her face hard enough to drop her as the man bear hugged him from behind the smaller man struggling, getting weaker as his bones felt like brittle squeezing together the man's life was being ripped away from him, inching towards unconsciousness before he slammed his head back escaping the death grip but got gut-punched with a purple fist from the woman which ripped through his clothes and skin deep into his gut, holding his head up with her other hand.

"Death comes for you," she said in English her Spanish accent still thick in her voice but she grinned regardless. Raising his head struggling to stand upright he gripped both hands around her blood covered arm that punctured his gut, feeling two large hands grabbing both sides of his head.

"Shitty punch," he said in numbed pain, blood creeping from his mouth as the silver plate on his left glove, glowed a light blue; illuminating the snowflake symbol on the silver plate. Seeing the glow in his hands the bear tried to snap his neck by twisting it but proved fruitless as his hands exploded a blue glow, shards of icicles ejecting from his arms stabbing in all of the bodies even the smaller man's. ripping the arm from his gut, he used her knee as a footstool to backflip over his head landing on his side as the shards exploded spreading like a tsunami flowing in the air and smashing down into the ground encasing the three of them in ice, their silhouettes visible from inside.

Fourteen hours earlier

"Argh Shut up!" He said destroying his black alarm clock with the bottom of his fist, then sliding it off the top of his bed stand. Sliding his feet to the side he wore a white thermal shirt and black winter pants with a black cloth wrapped around his left hand; the silver plate with its snowflake inscribed into it.

"Good morning Mr Fletcher," the monotone voice of his bracer said through its speaker, hanging off the closet door with the rest of his equipment.

"Good morning Eis" standing up while stretching his arms, Fletcher walked to the bathroom next to his bed with sagging shoulders; The bathroom is small like the rest of the dorm with a shower, sink, toilet and basket for laundry, looking in the mirror above the sink he stared back into his silver-grey eyes, brown skin and smooth raven black hair; slicked back with barely noticeable ice flakes inside it.

"You have C.R.C class in thirty-four minutes," he said which made Fletcher sigh in mock exhaustion; grabbing his towel whilst closing the door, he twisted the shower knobs.

"After that?" with a beep, the screen of his bracer glowed a dim white loading bar, then brought up a timetable of classes.

"First class, Close range combat, Second class heroes of the past, Third class psychological moral studies, final class weapon creation division. Diverting directive, loading, loading complete, scanning, found, accessing file 'E.R.P', password required. Requesting password authentication" at the end of Eis's report, Fletcher walked out of the door soaking wet with a towel wrapped around his waist, walking towards his closet.

"Not now Eis, you don't know if someone's listening" wiping the water off and hanging his clothes on the doors towel hook, the screen had the loading bar again.

"I apologize to tell you Mr Fletcher, but I have to inform you of an approaching visitor, ETA two minutes" quickening his pace with a click of his belt, he wrapped his night coloured suit jacket over the white dress shirt, then the sound of three sharp knocks reached his ears as he placed the purple raven badge on his chest.

"Hey, Fletcher you in there!?" a familiar sound of an annoying and vociferous council girl named Stephanie Nottingham made him regret waking up. Opening the door he saw the shorter dark-brown-haired girl wearing a white blouse, short rose coloured pencil skirt above her knees and black jacket with a similar gold lion badge.

"Don't you just love the feeling of your ears bursting from a whining midget?" Fletcher said stoically leaning against the doorway with squinted eyes.

"I'm not much shorter than you Flembo" if Fletcher could describe Stephanie in three words it would be loud, annoying and social but not in a good way; she's the type of girl who at the first sign of trouble would go in arms swinging and last to leave with a bloody nose and bruised knuckles, which didn't attract a lot of guys despite her buxom figure and stunning looks.

"That's not even a word"

"It is here Flembo," to say the least the word meant something unpleasant that Fletcher didn't know. After speaking random guidelines and rules which didn't process in his head until she shoved a pile of stacked papers into his arms from her brown leather satchel with a blue pen attached to it.

"What is this?" He said flipping through multiple sections inside the stack being greeted by multiple thousands of words and chapters.

"The paperwork for your new roommate," she said happily weather for the fact he might kill his new roommate or enjoyment in his torture were the only thoughts crossing his mind.

"Roommate?" Throwing the stacked paperwork into the room, it glided quietly to the bed stand perfectly.

"Yes roommate, you know when people live together to save space for other facility students," she said drawing out almost every word sarcastically.

"That's a thing?"

"In this case yes, we have a new student coming here and she needs room to stay in" she reached into her satchel to pull out a steel case holding the smartphone inside it, then showing him a picture of a small girl wearing the standard uniform with long brown hair and fair skin.

"She, thought there couldn't be a shared room between different genders?" Raising a similar black and silver-rimmed phone from his pocket, he waved it over the opposite red and gold phone initiating the student record download.

"Not usually but she's turning fourteen in winter and we know out of every available male room you'll be the least likely to try and seduce her" bringing up the girls record file and read the standard story of the school.

"No girl rooms?" The thought of no available rooms for a girl seemed unrealistic to him.

"None, unfortunately, pretty weird actually it's like they all appeared and disappeared out of nowhere," she said starting to scroll through her phone with squinted eyes.

"Regardless what's a thirteen-year-old girl doing here of all places, dorms are for sixteen and up" still scrolling through her phone he noticed the suspicion radiating from her in waves.

"You know what nevermind I have to go do something that doesn't include something I don't give jack about" closing the door he didn't hear her footsteps till a few minutes later.

"Mr Fletcher I overheard the conversation between you and miss Nottingham and did a scan of the school's primary account and noticed the odd occurrence with the diss-"

"Don't mind that Eis, how long do I have?" Pulling the tie around his neck he pulled it up.

"But the girl's disa-"

"Eis, I don't care" slipping into his shoes, he clicked the brace around his forearm, closing the door to the rest of his equipment as Eis's screen showed a loading bar.

"Override in progress, replacing primary objective...completed, the objective in progress. You now have nine minutes to reach your first class" swiping his hand through his hair creating little crackle sounds from the forming ice, he tightened the laces on his boots, pocketed his key and walked out locking the door behind him, lifting his left arm he pressed a button on the screen which emitted a light blue glow around his figure invisible to the naked eye then as quickly as it came it disappeared.

"This better be an easy day," he said to Eis drawing the looks of the filled hallway.

ROOM ONE-B

"Mr Fletcher are you listening to me?!" The instructor grew as red as a tomato glaring into the taller man's silver-grey eyes.

"Yes," Fletcher said not even caring enough to respond properly

"Then what did I say?"

"Something stupid" his face grew redder at the response which only increased with the snickers of the class that continued the line. The classroom consisted mainly of several boxing bags, weapon dummies, holo-tech and an arena filled with wooden weapon racks of different staff's, swords, axes, etc.

"The perhaps you could enlighten us by combat..." looking through the ranks his finger settled on a shorter young man wearing the student uniform with the exception of a metal whip with rows of sharp teeth lining along the cord and handle. Who stood stiffly not moving, or breathing.

"Kaiser" at the sound of his name the black-haired man with a streak of blue, turned to the instructor stiffly.

"Yes Mr Kroner"

"Both of you go up to there and I want to see who can win between a three-space fight" turning to the class as they picked their weapons from the rack

"Remember class, a three-space fight is spread into three different rounds. Close range, medium range and long range, first to the ground loses" grabbing their weapons they both stepped onto the stage which served as the arena beneath the isles of student desks.

"May the best man win?" Kaiser said with a bow, holding a similar whip with bamboo blocks lining the cord, a sling around his hip holding a combat rifle with a scope attached to its side.

"Who said either of us is human?" raising the staff in his hand, Fletcher held an eleven-foot wooden scythe in his hand, bound in leather strips and a small mechanism inside the head of it ready to serve its purpose, a handgun holster connected to his belt with a silver handgun. with three bullet points forming a triangle inside it.

"Ready, set, start!" At the start, they both exploded into the movement towards each other getting closer and closer, dents beneath Kaiser's feet which he guessed were adjusting as he made several missteps towards the taller man. Kaiser slung his whip forwards at first connecting to the staff of Fletcher's scythe, wrapping around it at which Fletcher pulled back with so much force it made Kaiser fly off his feet towards the taller man's fist making his cheek scrape into the ground.

"Gam-" the explosive knockback of the desert eagle echoed through the room as their eyes fell upon the blood-curdling scream of Kaiser holding his hand to his uninjured shoulder as Fletcher stood over him gun hand still raised towards him.

"Stop whining it doesn't hurt that bad" he sensed the behemoth of a man barreling towards him so he holstered the gun and sidestepped the lunge then felt a pair of arms headlock him.

"I hate it when they become invisible," Fletcher said hearing the man's anguished breathes, which he silenced by cracking his arm into the man's rib and backward uppercut towards his jaw-dropping him within a few seconds.

"Y- so- of a bi-sh," he said with his jaw broken from the quick beating, holding it in his hand.

"What Have You Done!?" the instructor looked furious having seen the damage on Kaiser's shoulder lucky for him the negative-magnetic field slowed the bullet fast enough to act similar to a BB gun.

"It'll only bruise him stop screaming" his mouth was going to open again but Fletcher shot him in the knee, making him collapse in a heap as he walked away.

"You mother-" the sound of his gun being ripped in two and imploding being the last noise he heard in the room that day.

"Do you think that was a necessary variable Mr Fletcher?" the encrypted message on the screen of Eis, disappeared as fast as it appeared.

"We need them weak if we want The soul" passing a team of medical staff rushing towards the classroom, he just kept his head down letting one shove his shoulder by accident with a mutter of apology.

"I've never heard of several criminal charges being a good idea in a long term undercover operation"

"it's simple," pausing to stand next to a door listening to the whispers inside.

"we weaken them, then we turn off the M.E" pulling out the revolver, cocking back the hammer. Kicking the door open with the plated boot, he heard multiple screams from the students and a shout from the teacher which he silenced by shooting them all individually the force so strong it pierced through both sides of their skulls and snapped their necks. Reloading the gun he walked out whistling passing two female students who looked at him rooted to the ground letting him pass, passed a glance and ran inside the room followed by ear-shattering screams.

"We have a predicament," Eis glowed a silver circle with percentages and numbers flowing past the screen.

"To deactivate the M.E we need the entire population to be deceased, and as you have seen you have left several witnesses" passing the locker room he stood ground, then a crackle went over the intercom.

"Students to all Battlestations, I repeat students to all Battlestations there is a shooter in the school, this is not a drill. I repeat this is not a drill!" raising his firing arm they flooded out of the lockers like they were a bunch of junkies in a drug bust, or rats running from a fire. Unsurprisingly most of them were horny teenagers running out half clothed, underwear or just straight up naked, despite it being a males locker room he saw more women than men, his gun sounded like booms of lightning and thunder straight through their skulls.

"All clear, twenty subjects remaining" raising his left hand a small red button glowed in the palm of his hand which he pressed, a second later multiple explosions echoed throughout the hallways, creating more numbers and algorithms.

"three subjects left" the second Eis spoke a giant axe was thrown towards Fletcher which he sidestepped it casually, recognizing the axe type he saw it split into three separate blades connecting to its staff creating a spear which flung itself towards him. Crackles of thunder separated the staff flying past to each side of his body followed by his keen senses catching a sharp whip wrapped around his arm, barely able to move him with its owners pull.

"GET HIM!" the whip pulled back making him lose his gun as a broad male figure leapt towards him the newly reformed golden edged axe in their hands. High kicking the figure's stomach, he pulled back against the whip causing the unseen aggressor to fly towards him being met with an iron fist. When she hit the weakened wall Fletcher got knocked down to his knee from behind then slammed into the ground from a giant hammer.

"And stay down!" A blue glow in his hand Fletcher directed a stream of ice towards the man behind him hitting his face exploding him backward. Aiming his hand he tried to fire it, but a foot hit his hand pushing him to his side.

"He has powers!" digging his foot into the ground a gust of frozen air pushed him to his feet as the figure curb stomped the ground. On his knee Fletcher aimed raised his hand again, shooting the first man as the first woman and the second man rushed him with different styles of kicks and punches, the woman kept repeatedly slamming her foot into his blocked arms and the second man swung and kicked trying to wear him down, Fletcher finally caught a kick from the woman which he responded with his own, using the same leg to sidekick the second man's cheek hitting the ground with a snapped neck, throwing the woman over his shoulder, he kneeled down and punched her with enough force to flatten her skull.

"Y-Yo-You bastard!" the second man said, a second after his head exploded into a bloody mess from the glowing blue light that emitted from Fletcher's arm. Leaving the two bodies behind he dragged his feet to the first man who sat still in a pile of rubble in constant pain.

"he's vitals are low, I suggest a quick painless death" looking at the rubble he saw a metal pole sticking out of the ground, pulling it from the new home he gave it a twirl then slammed it into the man's kneecap shattering it followed by brutal swings and stabs, blood spurting and gushing into the air with the man's screams of pain.

"That was... Messy" cleaning the blood from his clothes, Fletcher walked down the hallway the buildings behind him turning into ash into the air.

"It was unnecessary, but required if he is one of them" each footstep emitted a blue glue which spread to the lockers and walls turning it into ash, then air creating a black pit below spreading outwards until it consumed everything around him then his body which reduced to dust.

"Mr Fletcher are you listening to me?!" opening his eyes, Fletcher saw the instructor in front in him with a red face which rapidly reduced as confusion overtook his face.

"Yes"

"then-. Wait what was I saying?" his confusion was married by the rest of the class, who were looking at their hands and feet trying to establish where they are.

"Dismissing class" looking back at Fletcher, he formed silent words then backed away towards the office room.

"Class dismissed" Fletcher being the sanest of them, walked briskly to the locker rooms the class still standing there, one of them close to throwing up.

"What's the chances of success?" pulling his gloves back off Fletcher applied a handful of grey dust from a silver jar into his hair making it darker and moist with the melted frost flakes.

"I don't wish to alarm you Mr Fletcher, but you have applied three times the maximum amount of Grey death"

"Numbers Eis, what's the rate" closing the jar of dust and placing it in his locker, Eis loaded the bar on the screen.

"If you follow every step of the plan in order, your percentage of success is seventy-seven per cent" walking through the same hallway from earlier, Fletcher passed numerous students who either stumbled against the walls in euphoria or talked in huddles about how 'crazy' they are.

"I believe the orgasmic occurrence from the M.E wasn't a shared thought between multiple hormonal teenagers," Eis said a sketch pad on the screen taking notes of the unusual occurrence

"I pretty sure that many people wouldn't be thinking about a grade-wide orgy in a locker room" he drew the eyes of some students shock still at his words but he paid no mind

"Noted"

Opening the redwood door at the end of the hall he let a student pass him then walked inside to his second class of the day.

The rooftops were called the thieves highway for its close knitted rooftops and fast-tracked parkour routes with the perk of remaining unseen by anyone but occasionally the fellow criminal. Atop a grey abandoned building he leaned over the ledge looking down below at a filthy dark alleyway, lined with trash cans and dumpsters a large poster of a sardine can with the words 'THE SAHARA SARDINE FACTORY' over a steel blue door.

"How long till it happens?" Fletcher asked keeping his gaze below underneath the cover of night as he flipped a silver coin in his hand that was three times larger than an average dollar coin, he wore his white cloak and black chromed armour with the hood raised, As Eis recalibrated his data.

"They should be here in a few seconds" true to his words within seconds a busted white van rushed down the alleyway crashing into multiple trash cans, it's white paint burnt from gunfire with bullet holes lining the hull and a tire was popped from one.

"GO, GO, GO!" Two men wearing black ski masks matching jeans and turtleneck sweaters holding their respective assault rifles in their hands, speed walking to the back of the van one opened the door and grabbed something Jesse as the other aimed the gun at it as the first man pulled out a girl from the van bound in rope with a metal device wrapped around her neck, she was followed by other girls ranging from their teens to adolescence all wearing the same bounds and metal devices. Pushing them inside the neighbouring building through the steel blue door closing it behind them unable to hear the clink of the coin falling to the ground.

Inside the buildings ventilation shafts, Fletcher crouched over a hole in the vets ground seeing the same two men from earlier talking to each other sitting at a wooden table with third men holding the gun to the girls who were gathering in a circle inside the prison cell.

"Hey Carl," the first man said being the taller one out of the two by a few inches.

"What?" looking at the taller man while he pulled out the magazine of his gun

"What's up with the collars, buyers got a kink or something?"

"No, it's uh um reversal. Mini. Metal, I don't know what it's called it just cancels out the powers of superpowered humans" the taller man looked at the girls who the older ones glared at him and the younger ones curled up in fear against their elders.

"How do we know if they have powers, I thought this was a slave operation, not a superhuman one" reloading his rifle the shorter man grabbed his handgun placing the rifle on the table.

"it's both you know that girl, what was her name the one with the fire powers?"

"Diamond?"

"Yeah diamond, her boss got her when she was sixteen from some hero taking group and made her his bitch, did a whole number on her torture, rape, trauma, everything I heard he used Spider Bite to dope her up enough for her to kill her family and that finished the job"

"Is that why she's so?" the taller one said spinning his finger in a circle against his head.

"Crazy yeah, kind of a miracle she hasn't killed herself yet, or got pregnant" after that they rambled about sports and their first kills. While Fletcher passed by in the air duct as quiet as a mouse.

"Mr Fle-"

"Shh" staying still Fletcher heard footsteps echo below him.

"What was that?" he heard the footsteps below him he knew the third man was looking directly at the ducts but it held strong not falling through.

"Jeffy gets your ass over here" the second man yelled which drew him to the table. Waiting a few seconds Fletcher moved closer through the vents until he was crouched in front of a power box which was also above the girls, reaching into his pocket he pulled out a small earpiece and put it on hearing the beep.

"Direct me through this Eis" Fletcher said quietly as he ripped the plate off its hinges and began working on the wires and switches plugging it into his bracer.

"Initialising, complete. Diverting power source, complete. Searching for signal, Complete, accessing network, Complete. Projecting" Looking into the bracers screen he saw the security cameras in an undisclosed location. Two people were sitting across from each other in an expensive looking office with wines and malts sitting on a tray between them and a metal nameplate that was covered in shadow.

"I don't know what happened the convoy was going as planned" The man said to the woman, he was dressed in military-style fatigues, a buzzcut, green eyes with a bullet-resistant vest as the woman wore a black business suit with a red dress shirt slightly unbuttoned, her red hair tied into a bun with her soul-piercing blue eyes crushing his soul.

"Yet it didn't explain" she had her fingers crossed into each other as the man shrunk deeper into his seat.

"It happened so fast we were getting the girls inside the evac-van from Atlantis to send to Sahara but when they got in the van I noticed that some of the men weren't answering their radio calls so like any good soldier I gathered a group of four of the remaining seven and went out to find them"

"And that's when you 'found' them" He stared at his hands in deep thought like he was reliving it.

"Their body parts were hanging off the crates like old style lamps attached to the walls, the blood was drenching our boots which were certified to stay dry against a seven-hour trip into swamp terrain, and the smell it's indescribably it made my lungs feel like it burned into a liquid"

"What happened next?"

"We heard over the radio that the other three at the van were seeing shadows move out of the corner of their eyes and that we needed to go back immediately, A minute later on the way to the van they said there was a man there saying he was looking for me I told them to shoot him, we heard the gunfire and the screams we ran faster but when we got there it was already too late the van was busted up from bullet fire and the men were torn into multiple pieces"

"yet the girls were still there?"

"Yeah weirdly enough, they were scared but it's common enough for them to be. We packed up the van and drove to Sahara but before we could get there Simon one of the men, who was sitting in the passenger seat got his head blown off like clean off somehow it looked like a blade, not a gun"

"Do you know who did it?"

"We think it was-" The screen cut to black with a no connection sign as Fletcher pulled out the auxiliary cord.

"It seems your reputation exceeds you" crawling back to a different vent line Fletcher saw a grate below him which let him see the girls.

"It's okay don't cry it'll be over soon" The eldest girl was soothing a young girl holding her in her arms as the others were leaning against her in a huddle.

"Are we gonna be OK?" the brunette said all of them getting closer to avoid the eyes of one of the leering three men at the table.

"Now that checking them out there those girls are looking hot," The third man said looking at one of the young girls away from his cards letting the tallest one sneak a peek.

"The oldest ones fourteen and the youngest is nine, customers love their toys young and weak," the second man said throwing in a stack of green chips

"You what I just realized, we're guards in a pedophile ring" the other two men looked at him in a mixture of disbelief and annoyance.

"your kidding"

"How?!"

"I just never really thought about it," he said making the second man sigh throwing his cards down to light a cigarette.

"Fold"

"Dave, remember those guys in The vine-club and that one of them had two daughters and one of them had a bulge in her stomach underneath that sluttly flower dress?"

"Yeah, what about them?" the first man said throwing more chips down as the third man mimicked.

"She was pregnant with one of their kids" The first man looked at him in realization mouthing an 'O' motion.

"That actually makes sense, wait aren't they his daughters isn't that incest?"

"We're security guards for a pedophile ring that spans across the city, we've seen, heard and actually done many underage girls against their will why should we care if a father rapes his daughters and probably got one of them pregnant?" the first man looked at the girls in the cell who were refusing to look at them having overheard the conversation.

"Yeah I guess you're right"

"Mr Fletcher I suggest we save those girls before the mentioned atrocious acts become their lifetime career" Going through the system logs inside his braces Fletcher pressed a small circle on the screen activating a white light to phase through the walls highlighting the three men in his eyes.

"Targets acquired"

"Keep tabs on them" grabbing the metal crate below him he bent it back so he could fit through which made a small creak sound that the girls heard, gasping with frozen blood when they saw him. Placing his finger in front of his mouth, Fletcher dropped through the hole landing on the ground in a kneel in front of them which luckily the eldest girl held the mouth of the youngest before she could scream.

"Who are you?" The eldest girl said as he saw her clearly she wore a scrapped wool jumper specifically a gaping ripped hole around her chest revealing her white bra and blue jeans with rips around her knees and bare feet. Her blonde hair dirty and unkempt.

"I'm not important, leave when I get them" moving towards the men giving the girls a sideways nod, he reached into the crook behind his bracer and pulled out a large bowie knife holding it in a reverse hand grip.

"You know that girl in the light blue dress over there," the second man said as the creeping Fletcher got closer.

"What about her?" the second man said dragging his winnings into his pile as the third man groaned in his hands at the loss.

"How old is she?" Fletcher grabbed the edge of the chairs back raising the knife.

"I don't know like thirteen?"

"Ooh, just my age nice and fr-" at the end of his sentence Fletcher struck, he sunk the knife into the man's neck then threw him into the brick wall with his neck ripped and torn open barely able to move from the pain.

"Dave!" the second man grabbed his handgun to fire but Fletcher jumped on him stabbing into his shoulder then gripped the sides of his head and slamming it into his knee making the second man stumble back, Fletcher grabbed the man's shirt spun him around and threw him into the brick wall but the third man grabbed his rifle aiming it at Fletcher and fired, the bullets dug into his body but the white cloaked man slammed his arms together creating a shield of ice which deflected the small bullets off it.

"Die you stupid mother-" sprinting towards him with the shield raised, he charged into the man making him fly across the room and land on his head into a heap on the floor. Walking towards him with his right hand he grabbed him by the neck and lifted him above him as a picture of a man appeared on his left bracer.

"Where is he?" Shoving the picture into the man's face he got a clear view of it writing in his hand.

"I'll never talk!" Squeezing tighter he punched him across the face and slammed his body into the wall creating a small imprint inside it.

"I'm not waiting for an answer" ripping him from the brick cocoon he slammed him back into the wall again deepening the wall as the man had a trickle of blood running down his mouth.

"Where. is. he?" the man looked behind Fletcher and gave him a bloody smile.

"Never"

"Behind you!" Looking behind him Fletcher saw the second man holding a rocket launcher aimed right at him.

"Enemy LOCKED-ON," Eis said as the man fired making the rocket speed towards him at blinding speed, letting go of the man he jumped up and used the wall as a footstool to launch himself away but the rocket exploded behind him engulfing him in the fire. Looking at the wreckage the second man looked at the rubble and then at the girls, picking up his handgun he opened the cell door pointing it at the girls getting closer.

"C'mere girly" grabbing the youngest girl in a white dress she screamed in terror as the other girls tried to grab her back but he used the gun to keep them at bay.

"I need some relief, and your really pretty" he kept her under his body, dragging her out of the cell and closed the door throwing her on the table.

"Aren't you a naughty girl" he kissed her on her lips rushing his hands on her hips from under her dress as she froze in fear but a spiked chain wrapped itself around his neck pulling him back a foot as Fletcher rushed to his side, he grabbed the girl onto his arm setting her feet to the ground roughly and lifted the man up then dunking him back down through the table knocking him out cold in the span of a second.

"Okay?" He said looking at the girl who hid behind him softly crying while trying to rub the feeling of the man's lips off hers.

"Yeah" heading towards the cell door with the girl in tow he punched the handle breaking the lock letting the girls get out.

"Thank you for saving us," the eldest one said as the others chorused their own words and small hugs of thanks, going to the man he reached into his pockets and pulled out a small car key with a little fuzzy dice on it.

"Take this and go," he said throwing the key towards them which he assumed one of them caught as he searched more of his pockets.

"Did you have to kill them?" Looking down he saw the same small girl wearing her white dress, long dark blonde curly hair, fair skin, and a white bow in her hair looking up at him.

"It gets the job done"

"But heroes don't kill" it sounded like more of a question than a statement, common for those questioning their own world.

"I'm not a hero" heaving the man over his shoulder he made way to the door as they followed feeling safer with him around.

"But you have to be, you saved us," a new voice said that a girl with brown skin, dark raven hair like his own and black eyes, wearing light blue shirts and black short jeans also barefoot.

"I'm not and I didn't do this for free" they froze about to take him into a new light at his words until he turned to them.

"You never saw me, I was never here those two got into an argument about who's going to fuck you girls first and killed each over it, got it?"

"But you can be a superhero, you can help people" the girl refused to believe the truth he's existence proved, Just because people are given the chance to help and save people doesn't mean they will. Grabbing the gun from his holster he shot each of them in the neck cracking the lock on their chains and the devices making them fall off entirely.

"I don't care" bracing his knees he leapt upwards landing on the roof with the man on his shoulder he began running towards the nearest skyscraper.

Standing on the N-NEWS tower, Fletcher held the man at arm's length his hand being the difference life and death.

"Your insane man, bloody insane!" He was holding onto his saving grace as much as he could to avoid falling but said saving grace didn't have much compliance.

"Your friend didn't say much about where to look for him so how about you try instead" loosening his grip the man struggled to keep afloat and held as best he can. Raising his brace to the man's face he made sure the man saw the face clearly.

"Edward soul, you want The Soul!?" Keeping a tighter grip Fletcher pulled him closer making him choke.

"Where?" His tone was cold and malicious but it sent the message to the cowering man.

"He's at the Sahara, He's at the Sahara!" Raising his higher Fletcher choked him further.

"Where's that?"

"The Sahara canned sardine factory it's the only one in the district please don't kill me!" bringing him closer he loosened his grip again

"Thanks for the help" opening his hand, he pushed him away as he heard the screaming from down below followed by the sound of a crash landing and a car alarm.

"Objective complete, setting route" leaping off the rooftop he followed the directions.

"Hey" one soldier wearing full combat forest green armour with a painted on the skull on the helmet's faceplate, he sat on a conveyor belt with numerous empty cans of Sahara sardine cans. Next to him with another man who wore the same type of armour but he's was light red with a picture of a demon of the chest.

"Yeah?"

"When was the last ti-" Fletcher landed on him from the vents above which was a thirty-foot drop breaking the man's back as Fletcher used a spiked whip from his sleeve and threw it at the second man's throat piercing it right though, his gun in hand.

"One hostile remaining, detected three unknown entity's, setting route" vaulting over a ledge he landed onto the floor below hitting a wooden crate which burst apart under his weight letting a pile of empty cans spread underneath him.

"They really like sardines," he said sprinting with the blue arrows that formed in front of him.

"It is unusual, the last sardine can manufacture inside this factory was over thirty years ago"

"Again, they really like their sardines" the warehouse was as long as a football field and as tall as two of them it allowed Fletcher to run across the walls at full speed.

"Three hostiles detected" ahead was a painted tree branch with a raven sitting atop it with a small glass panel in its eye.

"Entry detected" jumping feet first he crashed through the glass revealing three men aiming their rifles at the three hostages, two of them wore black a bodysuit with metal layers of armour and the third man had Hispanic skin black like silk hair, wearing a leather coat, over a bullet-resistant vest and green pants, a small black earpiece inside his ear. The hostages much to Fletcher's dismay were popular heroes most likely from the council, there were two women and one man, the first woman wore a black spandex-like suit with metal pieces around her shoulders, chest, and knees with an elastic-like metal helmet on her head but still let her red hair flow through it. The second woman wore white jeans black boots and a white singlet underneath a white biker jacket with a white eye mask letting her long dark brown hair flow around her and the man wore a metal vest and thick skin tight suit with a pilot like helmet on his head, pieces of armour on his arms and legs.

"Dan-!" Fletcher landed both feet into the first man's jaw cracking it and his neck, the other two tried to fire at him but Fletcher held a shield of ice up deflecting the bullets back almost hitting the hostages who flopped down onto their stomachs.

"Grenade!" A click in the air then Fletcher felt a familiar panic in his chest, then he was blown backward towards the wall which he caught himself mid-air to push back towards them. Knee slamming into the leather wearing man's chest he used his momentum to crush his nose with both feet then hit the ground. The armour wearing man swung a hook which Fletcher caught and responded with multiple punches and kicks sending him to the ground, forming his whip Fletcher threw the sharp blade towards the third man's neck and wrapped it around his neck and pulled him towards himself then flung him over the spiked shoulder, with a hand pushing down on the man's neck.

"Nice to meet you, Mr soul" The man's skin glowed a bright blue the heat Melting his skin off as it tried to burn off Fletcher's but he just raised him upwards bringing him to the window putting him in the same situation as the soldier from earlier.

"Six months ago you found a dark force deep below the city and that awoke something, something that doesn't like to be awake" jabbing him in the face it made the man's nose run with blood.

"Hey what are you doing, put him down!" the woman dressed in white tried to get to her feet but like the other two and girls from earlier the bounds weakened her muscles and the device around her neck mulled her powers to the point where she's weaker than the average human.

"Don't say that he'll drop him?!" the older woman said as Fletcher turned to them holding the man higher.

"Shut up, now talk or you'll learn how to fly!" the man couldn't breathe from the fright and death grip around his neck so Fletcher loosened it to let him talk and to talk faster at the feeling of his saving grace let go.

"Don't kill me, man, please!" crushing his windpipe harder, Fletcher uppercut his stomach making him float upwards then grabbed his ankle letting him face downwards screaming.

"Please man!"

"What were you looking for?!"

"I don't know anything about anything man!" raising him higher with another jab to the stomach, Fletcher threw him up a couple of feet then caught him again by the ankle when he fell.

"You found something you weren't supposed too, awoke something that was meant to sleep for another ten thousand years and that something wants its power back, the power that you stole!" the wriggling man grabbed the ledge at Fletcher's feet which the man promptly stomped his fingers cracking them inverted.

"It wasn't me, she's the crazy man she thinks that...that monster has power over death man, she wants to live forever!" having heard enough he released his grip on the man letting him fall two floors below the crack of his bones echoing throughout the building.

"What was that!" the woman in white glared seething daggers at Fletcher who just opened his bracer looking at the screen.

"it seems she thinks the power it holds has power over life," Eis said noting the information as Fletcher walked towards the Hero's.

"it seems she 'knows' what power it has in the first place, that isn't good" closing the screen he stood behind the three Heroes and shot the collars releasing them, the older woman and man stayed back with glaring eyes holding the fires of hell as the young woman tried to tackle him to the ground struggling to activate her powers.

"Heroes don't kill you stupid idiot!" she punched multiple times in the stomach until a sheet of ice covered it making her first glow redraw as she held it in a silent scream.

"Move" shoving her out of the way, he walked briskly to the window with his computer brace open searching multiple networks in the city but then a hand gripped his shoulder and pulled him back making him land on his back staring at the ceiling.

"You couldn't have thought it would be this easy" annoyed he sat up coming face to face with the three Heroes seemingly trying to stare into his soul with hate and fury.

"You're not going anywhere after what you did," the man said listening to his joints as the others began cracking their knuckles. Getting to his feet Fletcher watched them move closer surrounding him like a team of sharks moving in a circle around him.

"He deserved it"

"That didn't mean he had to die!"

"I don't like witnesses"

"Then why let us live"

"Because you don't know what happens behind the scenes of this city, I do and I know that to get anything done, you have to get a little messy" The man struck first he tried to grab Fletcher from behind but he retaliated by grabbing the offending arm twisting it as he moved behind the man and snapped it upwards followed by a kick to the leg and backhand to his neck forcing his body to freeze in shock, then the younger woman tried to punch him but he caught her fist twisted it back cracking her knuckle and slamming a gauntleted hand into her face while simultaneously blocking the older woman's kick with his own then grabbing the other woman by the waist and head dropping her into the other woman slamming both of them into the ground.

"Your weak, your powers are useless and I'm not even breaking a sweat" watching them crumble in pain made Fletcher think of their willingness to die for a pointless cause that is taking him to jail, Then the thought struck him.

"Eis," he said a radar-like a compass on the bracer with a bar below it filling up quickly.

"Warning. The recovery beacons on the three hostile targets have been activated. Hostiles detected, ten seconds until breach"

"We can keep going all day," the older woman said pushing herself to her feet as the man helped the younger woman stand as well.

"As much as I would love to stick around I see you have company" using their standstill to his advantage he ripped a glowing piece of metal from under his bracer then threw it onto the ground creating a large flash of white as the wall exploded making Fletcher lose balance hitting his head against the windowsill nearby making him fall into the ice-cold water below.

Opening his eyes Fletcher looked around him in the vast darkness of the water, blowing out some air he watched it rise behind below him which he followed it knowing it would lead to the surface, seconds later he saw the line between water and air which he broke through forcing greedy gulps of air into his lungs.

"Going somewhere?" Looking above him he saw a group of teens flying in the air above him, two men and two women. The taller of the two men had pale white skin, blonde hair his face hidden behind a black faceplate and red hood, black and gold armour plating over a red leather garb with badges of lions, his left shoulder a metal plate looking like a golden lion's head. The taller and eldest woman wore a green trench coat over a blue shirt, bullet-resistant vest and metal plated jeans underneath a red skirt made of metal.

The shorter woman was a young girl younger than the rest of them, she had light brown hair, tan skin wearing a light blue strap on a dress with packet over it, wearing sports shorts underneath it with a butterfly pin in her hair, her face wrapped in an elastic-like material that shone like metal.

The second man wore a green muscle shirt, blue cargo pants, and green boots a leather trench coat over his entire frame with a metal mask that resembles a ski mask covering his entire head.

"Well scheisse," he said shooting his whip towards a nearby building and using it to pull himself toward it, landing in the wall into a sprint as they followed.

He felt like he has been running for hours which may be true as with every escape route he uses or obstacle he throws at them they just either avoid or smash through it, Running harder his feet trailing spiderweb cracks into the ground, he leaped upwards landing onto a higher building flipping backward slapping the heel of his boot into a metal box making it flips towards one of them while he kept pace. Gliding in the air he soared in the air towards the next building but a white beam of light smashed into his left arm resulting in a crack and him hissing through his teeth when he hit the ground.

"Dammit, all!" cursing his luck he leapt to the glass skyscraper on his right, his feet snapping into the glass creating footholds as he ran across. Behind him, the shadows shot different arrays of coloured lights at him but he kept outrunning them by an inch until he reached the end of the building which he impaled the building with his fingers and flipped along it starting to run upwards.

"Halt by the decree of-" the robotic tone of the man wearing the leather trench coat, exploded as a ball of blue light crashed into it vibrating the glass.

"Archer!" The younger girl went flying for the falling one which left two still chasing him unable to hear the curse under his tongue. Vaulting over the ledge his hands ripped a slab of concrete from the ledge which he blindly threw hitting one of them as the other tackled him both of them sliding to the ground with the figure leaning over him.

"Your gonna pay for that!" The older woman raised her arm holding a golden mace in her hands threatening to strike down but he used his working arm to strike her stomach and used his knee to hit her rear knocking her forwards which he slammed his head into hers launching her in the opposite direction; hitting the ledge.

"Argh STUPID!" whether she was cursing him or herself he didn't care just using his hand to lift himself up and flip backward, the moment his feet hit the ground he saw the other hero's rise from below.

"Your exhausted, Give up," The one he hit with concrete said as the other one he hit with the glowing ball was set on the ground gently by Another; which alerted him to his own heavy breathing and aching muscles.

"Says the one who can't dodge a slow-moving projectile" coupled with the fact of her injured teammate and her obvious anger issues enraged the already angry mace wielding hero.

"SHUT UP!!" sprinting towards him weapon raised, he double checked her stomach and uppercut her in the blink of an eye with one arm, sending her to the ground.

"DAMMIT!" she said with a hiss which he turned and leapt upwards in mid-air he felt a pair of arms wrapped around his back dragging him downwards in a spiral gaining speed.

The ice in the coffee shop grew larger by an inch with each passing second, the girl tried activating her distress beacon but something In the air was disrupting her electrical equipment to the point of uselessness. Dragging herself on her feet towards the ice she used it a resting place the chilled air brought a strange foreign comfort to her wounds numbing it entirely, her head tapping the ice as she laid back the impact created a crack that spread outwards covering the whole block as the girl tried to crawl away from it.

"What the hell!?" she said as the ice glowed a faint blue then split into thousands of pieces letting Fletcher fall out coughing out small amounts of blood on the floor except for the right two who were out cold laying face down next to each other.

"Damn it all!" he clutched his hand to his stomach using his glowing hand to block the blood flow, a sheet of ice covering the wound slowly.

"You OK?" turning to the girl in annoyance he resumed to stare at the ceiling both of them a few feet apart.

"I just got fisted by a wall jumping edgy emo, who stole multiple organs from my body What do you think?" his harsh tone shut her up with a whine as he flipped himself over getting to his knees the ice shards working inside his bloodstream resulting in his hair freezing with sharp shards of ice and snowflakes.

"Sorry"

"No your not" reaching to his feet he lowered his hand to the girls who look at it then at him, repeating the motions a few more times then taking it into her hand. She wrapped her arm over his bent down neck helping her reach the cafe door.

"Thanks," she said as he set her down at the door, nodding he cracked the bones in his back he left her there several minutes later her team and the cops would show up to a busted down cafe and one hero.

"I believe that small act of kindness you showed miss Livonia was granted to benefit your own gain am I correct?" Eis said hanging off of the door rack as Fletcher pulled off his cloak and unstrapped his armour.

"I don't need the student facility to try to think of an excuse as to where she got those injuries for me" standing in his white dress shirt, cargo pants and combat boots he tightened his red tie when the sound of three knocks reached his ears.

"Silent mode engaged" opening the door he came face to face with a short, tanned girl with light brown hair wearing short jeans, a red bikini crop top underneath a white jacket. She had a blue suitcase next to her with a red duffle bag slung over her shoulder, a small piece of paper in her hand.

"Hi are you uh Fletcher?" she looked up at him nervously, tipping from side to side on the balls of her feet timid of the man who stood a full foot above her.

"Livonia?" at slow her nod he moved out of the way to let her in which after a few seconds she walked in with Fletcher closing the door behind them.

"So I'm Aline Livonia from Frontera," She said turning to him holding out her small hand next to the only vacant bed in the room that was delivered when Fletcher got there.

"Fletcher," he said walking past her towards the closet door shutting it closely followed by the sound of his bracer beeping inside.

"um yeah?" she said frozen to the spot with her hand still outstretched then wiping it into her hair smoothly. Walking into the bathroom he pulled out a silver canister of the grey dust sweeping it into his hair. Then the girl walked in slowly watching him as he focused on his hair as she held a pile of cosmetics, a toothbrush, toothpaste and other things among them, getting to the other side she set them on the other side of the sink with the toothbrush in her mouth watching him use more of the powder.

"What's that?" she said spitting out her mouthwash as he closed the lid with more dust in his hand still applying it.

"Grey death"

"What's it do?" she followed him out of the bathroom like a lost puppy scared of their new environment, unzipping her duffle bag full of clothes she folded them into squares and placing them in the dresser next to her as Fletcher laid in his bed.

"Nothing" he didn't care about her raised an eyebrow or the small beeping that came from her bag, he just opened the stool next to him and pulled out a dark red book.

"Uh is there another place for my clothes?" Looking over to her she held the cabinet door open showing Fletcher's clothes filling it to the brim with the same shirts, pants, socks and two pairs of spare gloves.

"The other cabinets are free to use," he said as she opened the one above it which was a little high for her but she managed to neatly place her clothes inside.

"Thanks" waving her off she closed the cabinet then went back.to ruffling more clothes out of her bag and placing it inside her part of the cabinet, when she finished she opened her bag and pulled out a small grey device with a medical symbol on its side, it's entire body looked like a small handgun without the barrel it's front holding a needle which she stuck in her left thigh squeezing the trigger with a sigh.

"A Field-med?" He said keeping his eyes on the book as she sighed loudly in relief.

"Yeah it helps me walk, my thighs have been hurting lately," she said pressing the trigger twice making the needle sink back into its body and inside her duffle bag.

"Little young for that don't you think?" She didn't catch the dry joke until he flipped the page.

"Ewww gross don't say that!" Her face looked flushed trying to hide behind an invisible wall as she turned off the lamp sliding into her bed turning towards him.

"Are you going to sleep soon?"

"When I finish this," he said turning the page as she sunk deeper into the bed sheets.

"Okay, goodnight," she said turning the other way as he kept reading the book throughout the night his thoughts were dismal and focused entirely on the book as she dreamt about the white cloaked man and where he could be right then.

End.


	2. A day in the life of Fletcher

Coldest Winter

By Das_original

Act I

Chapter 2: A day in the life of Fletcher

"When the people you care about the most find out what you are, can you handle being yourself anymore?"

Opening his eyes with long blinks from his eyelids he felt the sleep fall out with each push from his eyelashes, Fletcher turned to lie on his back letting his neck pop his eyes adrift to the dining fan above him that usually sat still whenever he looked at it, the sound of pop music from a forgotten teen idol that blurred between the fabrics in his mind of hate and unimportant. Lifting his head up he saw steam rising in the air from the bathroom door with the sound of water hitting the floor. Sitting up he wiped his eyes feeling the book he read last night on his chest, storing it into the bed stand he walked towards the closet closing it shut behind him changing his clothes.

"Fletcher?" pulling up his tie whilst opening the door, he saw Aline's wet head poking out of the bathroom door adjusting her view to look at him.

"Can you please pass my towel, I forgot to grab it" after clipping the straps on his bracers he walked next to the cabinet and opened her side pulling out a pink spotted black towel he then threw it to her grasping hand.

"Thanks," she said as he sat on his bed pulling his boots onto his feet strapping them on tighter then she walked out wearing a bathrobe with a towel wrapped around her hair.

"Showers free, is there a change room in here?" making a mental note to keep his bracers on him at all times, he made the straps tighter on his other boot.

"The walk-in closet on your left" turning she grabbed some clothes from the cabinet and opened the door heading inside, Standing up he felt a chill on his skin with a refreshing feeling that spread through like drinking a glass of ice-cold lemonade on a hot summer day, walking inside the steamed bathroom; that could be mistaken for a sauna. Picking up the light-weight jar of dust opening the lid he saw the empty contents with a raised eyebrow and growl under his throat.

"What's wrong?" Walking inside she wore the same outfit as yesterday but in teal, with a black fluffy coat, that reached below her knees with brown buttons folding it to one side.

"Nothing" closing the lid harshly, he threw the jar into the small bin at his feet walking to the closet he grabbed a long black cloak that looked like it was made of spare bits with different shades of large fabric in multiple spots.

"Are you going somewhere?" She asked applying makeup to her face that in Fletcher's opinion made her look ridiculous; worrying about such a small thing at her age.

"Out" reaching into the back of closet shelf he pulled out a small wooden chest filled to the brim with small bits of dried meat in a bag similar to bacon but browned and smelled of herbs and spices.

"Oh, it was just that I was thinking that since we're roommates so-"

"It's only temporary," he said cutting her off opening a bag and chewing the dry meat stashing the rest.

"y-ye-yeah, no it's fine just I was wondering if you'd like to join me and my friends to a restaurant opening on the other side of town" she walked out wearing lip-gloss small traces of mascara and a hint of blush and eyeliner, her hair drooping and wet to let it air-dry.

"Why?" his ice-cold eyes set on her hazel-brown ones which rooted her to the spot; like she was being caught in a prison escape by the spotlights.

"Well, the roommate thing and we're going to live together-"

"I mean why do you, want me to join your team of hormonally influenced sacks of flesh that you call friends to a restaurant that sells the equivalent of human-feces?" each word felt like a sack of bricks to her self-esteem but unlike anyone else she still budged.

"Well you didn't insult me" she smiled cheekily that didn't reduce Fletcher's agonizing glare but lightened the atmosphere that she felt surrounded her.

"It was implied" walking to the door she hurried to grab her shoes that looked similar to basketball shoes and ran out the door closing it behind her following him.

"So is that a yes?" She said pushing her feet into the shoes whilst hopping on the other foot.

"I'm busy" passing a group of students that spoke of the Oliver Jones concert happening next week making Fletcher's brows twitch at the thought; if the gossip around the academy wasn't enough there's a large banner hanging in the front of the school from some students drunken night, that's proved by the way they spelled Oliver by forgetting the last two letters and replacing the O in Jones with a C and H for some absurd reason.

"What about that Oliver Jones concert, teenagers love that guy right what if we all go there?" He didn't have the willpower to list off all the things wrong with her plan and the possibility of him starting a brawl there if he even considered joining.

"No" opening the door to the cafeteria he went to the end of the line opening his Eis's case and searching through every file he has.

"But what i-"

"Hey, Aline!" Not bothering to turn around to look at who spoke as the others did, specifically with eyes of jealousy or lust.

"Oh hey Noah"

"What have you been up to?"

"Oh nothing just talking to my new roommate"

"You have a roommate, Who is she?"

"He is right here" at this point he presumed she did some grand gesture towards him thinking he'd turn around like some talk show but instead he just moved forwards next to the register.

"Him?"

"Uh yeah Fletcher turn around" she pulled her arm over his shoulder which was a struggle as she was a foot under him, turning him around he looked at his screen then looked up at them.

"I'll cut off your hands and wear them as ear-muffs if you don't take them off me" heeding his warning quickly Fletcher saw the man that is Noah. He stood around six ft two wearing a forest green and black letterman jacket, matching trousers and a pair of black and red striped sneakers, his right hand covered in a black fingerless glove which oblivious to the naked eye Fletcher saw a near-invisible metal collar around his neck made of a rare metal called Magalrock; despite it's weird choice of naming the metal is only found in small and mostly unusable pieces, inside rocks the size of eyeballs. He had slightly darker tan skin than Aline's with Sandy dark-blonde hair that fell to his eyes.

"I don't like it when people threaten my friends" Noah went a step in Fletcher's direction of course threateningly nudging Aline behind him gaining some onlookers. Fletcher didn't have the time or patience for an argument, so he pulled out his revolver from the holster at his left hip which Aline noticed quickly and pushed ahead to force his hand down in one fluid movement so no-one could see it.

"What's wrong with you carrying a gun here of all places!" Pulling his hand away Fletcher resorted to a petty quick-fix. Dropping a small silver bell-like ball, he turned to leave grabbing a plastic cup of coffee while dropping a one-hundred dollar note the sounds of firecrackers exploding behind the swinging closed doors quickly followed by panicked shrieking.

"Good morning Mr Fletcher"

"Morning Eis"

"I couldn't help but notice that you didn't decline the offer to join them at the restaurant"

"Which part of me throwing a firecracker into the cafeteria wasn't clear to you?" sliding his case open Eis's screen blinks on showing the video footage of one of the cameras in the cafeteria.

"This one" the camera turned each way looking around the room as Fletcher kept walking forwards in the desert hallway; subconsciously following the exit signs. In the screen, he saw Aline and her friends Noah talking to another man and woman. The man he recognized as Kaiser sporting a long yellow wool coat and black pants, orange muscle shirt and armoured boots. The woman he also recognized as Stephanie wore a grey overcoat with a light green singlet and black skinny jeans with pieces of black stubbed armour from her ankles to her knees connecting to her checker-coloured sneakers.

"What Happened?" Stephanie asked being a head taller than Kaiser but an inch below Noah.

"Nothing, just my roommate," Aline said looking at the group of students whose eyes were being treated by the lunch lady waiting for the nurses to come.

"You mean Fletcher?" Stephanie said triumphantly

"Yeah and he's a psychopath," Noah said sitting down on the nearest seat as they followed sitting down as well.

"No, he's not he's just. I don't know he's just something"

"Mysterious?" Kaiser said leaning back thinking of different words to describe the man known as Fletcher.

"Something like that, I invited him to join us to the restaurant"

"What did he say?" the seemed interested in who Fletcher could be, rude or not.

"Well he didn't say no, but he didn't say yes either"

"we'll take that as a yes then, let's go find him before he leaves," Stephanie said taking Aline's hand running towards the only other door in the cafeteria.

"It seems your going to have company soon," Eis said as the case slid shut from Fletcher's gaze who was walking through the main hall which is a glorified Shopping Centre for students. With clothing stores, school supplies, sweet shop and the now busted down cafe surrounded in police tape with a few dents in the concrete.

"it seems like no tea or coffee for now" walking past the wreckage into the shop he saw the smashed walls and furniture in pieces or hanging from the walls like sticks in the mud.

"we sure did a number on the place," Fletcher said gripping the grip of his gun when he saw a white drape over what he knows is a dead body.

"Eis"

"On it……, hmm most peculiar"

"what is?" he said tiptoeing over a pool of blood in the ground with an evidence number next to it.

"I think it is better if you see for yourself" kneeling closer to the body Fletcher grabbed the sheet and pulled it upwards revealing an elderly Hispanic man with ghostly white hair and a scar of claw marks drawn into his face, Fletcher knows he wasn't there last night. He wore a torn black two-piece business suit over a split-in-half white dress shirt that is caked in so much blood it could pass as a dark red one.

"Who is this Eis?" lifting the corpse's hand his vision changed into a dull blue with the enhanced view of the corpse fingers as Eis screen blinked through thousands of faces.

"Keep an eye on those results I'm going to look around" the faces still blinking, Fletcher started inspecting every inch of the room with no luck; thanks to the cops who've searched beforehand, Walking back to the corpse he heard a single beep.

"What do you have?" Kneeling next to the cops again Fletcher brought up his arm looking into the black monitor as it came to life.

"I have a match but it seems severely outdated" the contents of a file glided across the screen as he read them.

"Name Michael Walker, age twenty-three, born in Napa Ghorme, several speeding tickets, licensed Hero for the F.H.A, status Alive" looking back down to the body he had an old wrinkled face with grey hair around the bald spot in the middle of his head.

"You don't look twenty-three but you do look dead"

"Mr Fletcher I have detected an anomaly in the corpses liver"

"What kind?"

"There appears to be a small device inside of the organ as well as traceable amounts of silver" ripping the man's shirt open further Fletcher saw multiple bruise marks and handprints on the man's stomach and ribs as well as more bruising around the neck.

"Hmm" Fletcher traced his fingers over the marks with a curious gaze.

"Is something wrong?" Eis said as Fletcher reached under his cargo pants and pulled out a broad knife from its sheath.

"I think I have an idea" with a quick stab to the man's belly Fletcher sunk the blade deep into the man's spleen and used it as a marking point to slice open the man's flesh in a wide oval.

"You may want to change into new clothes when you leave Mr Fletcher" pulling open the flap he created Fletcher dug his hand into the hole and ripped out the man's liver in hand, it looked rotted and decayed as well as bone dry like a rock in the scorching sun, Gripping it in both hands Fletcher snapped it in two letting a gush of blood fall out with splotches of silver-colouring attached to it.

"Silver, blood, marks around the neck, bruising," lifting the hollow carcass to its side there were small handprints on it's back.

"And dead flesh in the form of small handprints, This is the man from last night" dropping the corpse and leaving the kidney next to it, Fletcher left the cafe walking towards the mini-malls exit unaware there were a pair of eyes watching him from above.

Walking in the streets of the sermon is a safe one for those that lived above in higher districts for the average Joe but down below over one-hundred feet below is the streets of Crazine, an old town that served as a prison for convicts ranging from thieves to psychopaths. It was a community of unified killers that scared the upper districts so much they let them back in the regular prisons that only held minor-offences that were nowhere near the lowest crime in Crazine.

"I have detected a thirty-percent population increase since we have last visited Mr Fletcher" walking through the streets dressed how he is with the dirtied black cloak and armour covered in dried blood is considered normal in Crazine; a custom even.

"It's been less than a month and we already have to upgrade the fort, fantastic" passing abandoned houses in the ghetto-streets Fletcher felt his computerised bracer vibrate making him raise it blinking on.

"Hey Fletcher" On the screen is a boy with pale skin, emerald green eyes and dark blonde hair wearing a dark and light blue striped shirt.

"Hello Steven"

"Hi," another boy said smaller and younger than the first with fair-skin, hazelnut eyes and brown hair that glowed under sunshine.

"Hello, David where is your mother?" Fletcher passed multiple people on the street gangsters, killers, robbers, hookers and some corrupt cops which he tried to keep out of the camera's view but looking forwards he saw a group of teen males joking around with each other rather violently and knew they would be a problem so he took a sharp turn into a filthy alleyway, it's musky and dust filled air invading his lungs.

"She's talking to Freya over the phone," Steven said as Fletcher heard shouting in the other room.

"Sounds heated," Fletcher said kicking a trash can invoking the rats to swarm out like a plague as he went through one of the paths in the crossroad.

"What's that sound?"

"Nothing I'll be there in twenty... minutes" Fletcher stood in front of a dead end in irritation; with yesterday's fiasco, he couldn't just start running across rooftops. Turning around he began the long painful trek back to the crossroads to take another path.

"I think she got a job," David said filling his face with Fletcher's screen then Steven pushed him out of it.

"I think so too, she saw a movie called breadwinners and said that she's going to be one like mom," Steven said as David's face once again filled the screen with giant brown eyes.

"Is she going to be a mommy?"

"Not if I have something to say about it, babies are annoying and they'll ask me to babysit bugging me till I say yes" back to the crossroads his foot hit the ground then his whole body leaned backwards dodging a swing from a wooden baseball bat that made him back away a few feet watching the group of men from earlier walking out from each side of the exit.

"What was that?" The screen slid closed as the camera turned off so the boys could only hear the sounds of crashing, followed by thuds and groans of pain and screaming, ending in the sound of footsteps in a wet puddle.

"Someone asked for directions and I pointed it out," Fletcher said turning the camera back on walking back through the streets leaving behind broken and bleeding bodies of unconscious thugs.

"We didn't hear anyone talking to you"

"They're deaf...starting now" a few more questions and talks of the boy's sister Fletcher hung up the call continuing his walk through the streets.

"Hey, man wanna take a trip to the Vine Club, hottest girls in town?" A man wearing a brown trenchcoat and Dusty fedora beckoned him to the thought but Fletcher past him without a glance.

"It seems dealers of the Vine Club are so confident about the absence of the police they're talking about it on the streets"

"Any publicity is good publicity," Fletcher said as he passed a man wearing a red cap and black jacket over blue jeans torn at the knees and white shirt saying 'Free-Four-Life'.

"Pardon me," The man said bumping into Fletcher handing him a silver jar in one swift movement both men still moving to opposite ends. Next to the meeting point is a grey building looking dull and bland with red-tiled-roof and gothic windows its windows covered in bars of steel, a stone statue of a Raven head above the door, above the head a banner reading 'St Mary's orphanage of Crazine'

"It seems he left a note" walking up the stone steps, Fletcher lifted the silver jar to his eyes; a symbol of a skull in the centre surrounded by vines and blades of different types and sizes in a circle that surrounded its a body. Attached to the lid is a note by a piece of thread in big bold letters. 'SUPPLY ENDED, STOP. DON'T GET DEPENDENT, STOP.' opening the jar he rubbed the dust along his neck that sunk into his skin like rubbed off the sunscreen. Closing the jar he stared the door with his fist, the sound echoing throughout the house.

"Coming!" Hearing stomping towards the door it swung open revealing Fifteen-year-old Steven standing at Fletcher's ribs holding a bundle of pink blankets.

"Hey Fletcher," he said dripping a drop of milk from a bottle onto his wrist then squeezing the nipple of it.

"Hello, Steven" Fletcher walked in letting his hood fall down his black hair given a breath of relief from the hood.

"Where's Sofia?"

"Mom's in the kitchen" He said walking down the hallway past the stairs and the living room with David inside watching a cartoon show on the television giving Fletcher a wave, Replying with a three-fingered one Fletcher followed Steven into the dining room which was a small packed room with a miniature oak-dinner table sitting in the middle next to a short bookshelf and cabinets next to a doorway. Sitting down Fletcher watched how Steven pushed the nipple of the bottle into the bundle of blankets that held the small infant with a tuft of black hair, slightly reddish fair skin and big round eyes of gold like the sun.

"How is she?" Fletcher sat down on Steven's right looking at the bundle of joy.

"She's been doing fine since you found her, mom says she needs to gain weight"

"She does weigh little" reaching his hand over to the infant he let it rest on her forehead for a second, his cool hand brushing against her skin made the temperature he felt it fall tremendously, Looking up Steven stared at Fletcher's hand in wonder.

"I can feel it from here" he smiled as Fletcher retracted his hand the feeling of frost leaving the room leaving it humid.

"She has a fever just get her some medicine or something, I'm going to talk to Sofia" leaving the boy to go upstairs to the medicine cabinet, Fletcher walked through the doorway into the kitchen the sounds of more shouting in range.

"I don't care if it brings money for us, I want you back here right now. They could be kidnappers, killers, gods-forbid slavers. You get your butt here right now young lady...hello...Freya!" She slammed the phone back into its original post on the wall, close enough to smash it into pieces. The one who did it is Sophia March, she is in her mid-twenties with ghost-white-hair, flawless skin and wearing a purple top and black sweatpants with writing on the legs.

"What she do this time, knock a few teeth?" She sighed in exhaustion, sitting at the stool that sat under the counter; the kitchen was bare-bones with a sink, oven, toaster, etc, It's marble counter connecting them all in a rectangle shape with a black and white diamond pattern on the floor.

"She got a job," she said each word getting more foreign in that sentence.

"A job, oh this is has got to be funny," he said taking a seat next to her on the stool leaning on the counter as she rested her face in her hands groaning.

"She got herself a job as a waitress"

"I wouldn't trust her around food in a place like that but okay"

"She got it at a Club"

"What country, golf?" Sighing more heavily she wiped her eyes and looked at him with her light-pink eyes.

"She met a man on the street who offered her a job because she looked 'nice'. You know what that means but she didn't and refuses to come back home until she gets that paycheck"

"She won't get one, what's this club called?"

"The Vine Club" The familiar name struck the ice-cold rock within his chest like a blacksmiths hammer, looking at the ceiling looking for an answer he let his head hit the counter.

"Dammit!"

"What's wrong, is she in danger!?" He knew if he told her the truth she'd have a heart attack or she'll do something reckless.

"Who is this man?!" she jumped to her feet as he did the same.

"Why is she in danger, is she going to get hurt what do we do!?" grabbing both of her shoulders he kept her rooted to the spot as small stressful tears already began running down her cheeks.

"Sofia focus Who is he?" she took small breathes her mind racing.

"He wore a mafia get-up, a trenchcoat and hat that's what she said" holding her still his eyes wore an expression of memory.

"I'll get her don't worry, don't call the cops, don't leave the house and don't answer the door I may start a war or two" walking out the door he left her to lock-up the house as he went into a fast-paced walk, backtracking the way he came until he saw the same man in the long trench coat and dusty Fedora this time holding flyers or the women on poles with the writing of the bar underneath it.

"Hottest girls in town right here, you sir come back t-" Fletcher wrapped his hand around the man's neck, slamming him into the wall creating a dent and the man's bones to crack and rattle.

"Where is this club?" Increasing the pressure for a split second he released the man to fall to his feet coughing on his knees.

Fletcher stood at the end of an alleyway at the beginning of night; the crackling and booms of thunder above him that let the rain hit his cloak, around the corner he glanced at two men on bald and the other with neck length hair and wore matching black shirts and pants with bold white letters saying 'SECURITY'. Another man flashed a small black card to the men who nodded and let him into a door of a three-story yellow building with greystone tiles. Walking through the streets with heavy-footfalls, the men saw him coming this bald one holding his hand out.

"Sir do you have-" grabbing the taller man's throat Fletcher threw him into the other man making them hit the ground with their skin ripping from their skulls.

"Ahhh Oh My God!?" The bald man's left side of his face is shredded peeling from his skin as he screamed in pain trying to hold the blood from spilling out. Holding his arm pointed towards him a small light glowed in his palm making a stream of ice that looked like lightning hitting the man's jaw, his teeth fell out and dislocated outwards, his mind numb from the pain he fell down letting Fletcher walk-in quietly.

The rock music echoed through Fletcher's ears or beats and sounds in a music-mashup, the dark tunnel covered the corners of his vision into darkness the lights of different colours like tiny pinpricks.

"I suggest nothing brash Mr Fletcher" reaching the oval-shaped-doorway he saw a rectangular-bar surrounded by booths in the walls covered in purple drapes and curtains with men of different ages and stories from their early teens to their sixties all sitting on the chairs drinking beer or snorting blue powder into their noses out of a straw; wearing suits, rags and armour from all-over the globe. He saw a topless girl standing at the bar cleaning a mug with a yellow wash clothes with red hair swept to the side wearing what looked like Freya's school skirt, black fishnet tights and purple heels, walking to the bar he took a seat at the stool waiting as the girl walked over to him with a forced-smile seen with her dull green eyes.

"Hey sweetie, what's your poison?" she said placing the mug down which he grabbed her wrist and harshly pulled her towards him as he leaned into her ear.

"I'm going to say this once and only once, a girl came in here this morning, she had brown hair, blue eyes, dimples and a dragon piercing on her left ear. She's sixteen and was looking for a job she was promised by a man in a trench coat and fedora, you'll give her to me, you'll fire her on the spot and You Will Never Contact Her Again" each word struck the atmosphere in the room at the pace of a heartbeat, the patrons looked over to Fletcher some looking towards the exit and others reaching under the tables, she looked around the room then back to Fletcher's icy-gaze.

"Sir there are twelve-men in this room who have fought in the war, another five cop-killers who will shoot you from every angle if you try anything against me, on top of that the Mafia run this place so if you want to live-" Slamming her head into the counter the men around him pulled out different assortments of guns all pointed at Fletcher who looked at them all then back to her.

"I'll worry about that later, now where's the girl?" she sucked in the air through her teeth, afraid of the man's grip that froze her back like a bucket of ice-cold-water dunked over her in the Antarctic.

"She's treating V.I.P's in the gold room," she squealed at the sudden pressure that threatened to cave-in her skull.

"Not In That Way, Not In That Way!" releasing her from his grip she fell back behind the counter hitting her head against the wall, watching him slam his hands into the counter creating small handprints inside it.

"Where?"

"It's over there" she pointed to one of the booths that had a curtain inside it with a red sign above with the picture of a golden compass above it with different symbols inside it. Standing to her feet leaning against the counter they all let Fletcher walk to the booth as the men inside tried to escape into the walls by squishing themselves against it.

"Girls come here eyes full of hope but don't ever leave, she's lucky to have you" she said as he parted into the red lot hallway that smelt of caramel scented candles and incense, the sounds of erotic music and moans echoes throughout the hallway as he passed multiple doors; each door had a neon sign with a client's name and their whore.

"Eis these are all sudo-names find out which one she would use"

"Scanning names, searching for cross-reference, Found. Room six Mrs Williams, Room Twelve Mystic, Room Thirteen Hearts, Room sixteen Miss Periwinkle,"

"That's it room sixteen, where is it?" The number highlighted into a blue that stood out against the red like a sore thumb, Gripping the handle is locked in place refusing to budge.

"It's taken" Fletcher recognized the slightly high pitched female voice, kicking the door with his metallic boot it flew across the room stopping at the table; the room was mainly dark-purple in colour with a singular booth at the end with two men sitting on the seats, one with a bald tattooed head wearing a wife beater and dark blue pants as the other man and grey-hair wearing a dark grey suit and a yellow pin of a honeybee on his chest, as four men were standing in front of the booth wearing matching black suits and white dress shirts with blue elastic gloves holding assault rifles in their hands as a small sixteen-year-old girl sat in the lap of the bald man wearing a black-lace-bra and matching thong, she had platinum-blonde hair that reached her back of her thin figure with sky blue eyes and fair skin, he saw she was trying to look confident but he saw the fear in her eyes of the man's arm wrapped around her waist that only tightened as he kicked the door down.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" the bald man said his skull tattoos moving with his mouth, as the men stood in front of the booth aiming their rifles at the panting Fletcher who's anger that nestled deep within his stone-cold heart increased as the man hit her rear making her yelp, then stood up walking towards him.

"It seems you be in the wrong neighbourhood" the man pulled out a handgun with three barrels with glowing lines along its body, pointing it towards Fletcher his silver eyes turning a tinge of pink getting lighter.

"Freya get your clothes, we're leaving!" Fletcher said making the girl try to grab a pink silk robe from the floor and run towards Fletcher but the bald man blocked her from moving any further.

"Man this sweet ass girl, she be staying with me, you wait your turn you pink eyed freak," he said as the man holding one of the rifles from behind him grabbed her arms, dragging her back which she tried to pry herself from his grip.

"Fletcher!" He moved a step forward but the cooking of guns all aimed at him made him stop as the man threw Freya into the booth at which she curled up unable to watch but she couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Now be a good little boy and turn back around" Fletcher's eyes changed from a pink, gaining a darker colour that changed it from pink to a red; still getting darker.

"C' mon be a good circus free-" Fletcher wrapped his hand around the man's throat, throwing him into the ceiling the engulfed his body followed by a thud and the man falling back down, the guns were let loose each bullet entering Fletcher's numbed body that he raised his newly-formed-shield which caught the bullets as his cloak melted the black off of it making it fly off like ash and turn snow-white.

"Target LOCKED-ON" Fletcher felt another bullet hit the shield but had the force of a twelve grenades that pushed him back to his knees, then another hit the shield making him lose grip and destroying his shield to catch his grip on the ground that gave the men a clear shot but with yellow-tipped bullets that made Fletcher's senses get knocked around suddenly up became down, vision blurred and unrelenting pain covered his whole body.

"Fletcher!" He heard her scream, he heard her try to run to him and he also heard the slap of skin in the air as she fell to the ground, looking up he saw Freya on the ground nursing a harsh welt on her cheek that looked like burnt skin of a cauterized wound. Gaining footing the bullets still tore into his skin that was being blocked as best as he could with the bracers that held strong.

"Warning a class Z poison has been detected in your system" when the bullets stopped Fletcher fell to his knees his body hurting all overheard the clicks of metal that were distinctly the sound of a baton being released, hearing the sounds of footsteps getting closer Fletcher charged tackling one of them to the ground but another kicked him off which Fletcher still landed on his feet in a crouched position his lungs burning like fire and his heart beating so fast it felt like an orchestra resided inside his chest.

"Sir, may I suggest that you fight?" Catching the first kick from a man that's shorter than the others, Fletcher pushed him off then sidestepped another's overhead swing; the electric baton creating a wave of Sparks that looked like the waves of a ocean, right-hooking the second man he caught another swing which the first one kicked his weakened knee forcing him to the ground as the fourth man used his baton like a baseball bat hitting Fletcher in the head grazing the side of his skull then the third man used his weapon to put Fletcher in a choke hold as they all began holding him down by the arms and the fourth man stabbed Fletcher in the throat keeping him in a passive position at their mercy.

"M...Fletc-...I- ene-" amping the energy Fletcher felt like his weakened nervous system would be burned off, then the other men began to stab into his ribs forcing him to both knees, the third man turned his baton back on doubling the pain in his neck making Fletcher roar in pain like an animal with his eyes growing darker and by black veins around his eyes, and his vision is swarming with a dark red mist but little glowing red lights that beat like war-drums in his ears, snapping his head back it loosened the grip for Fletcher to throw one of the men holding his arm into the other one, the. He kicked the fourth man in the chin using his body as leverage to flip himself over the man at his throat then threw him into the ground at which the other two men picked themselves up and Freya watching the fight saw Fletcher in a new light; his teeth were sharper and fanged looking like it decayed in seconds from how yellow they were, with blood red eyes that she felt it closely resembled a demon from hell; His heavy breaths filled the room, panting like a hungry-animal as his fingers were in a claw formation the tips of them getting covered by a sharp piece of ice, leaping towards the closest man which was the one that stabbed him first, Fletcher couldn't control his actions or quench the thirst of blood that followed; the lukewarm liquid that stuck to his skin and dripped from his face like a morning shower.

"Fletcher!" The next blink of his eyes was like opening his eyes for the first time finally seeing and feeling the room that surrounded him; the only difference is that he tasted blood that dripped out of his mouth, the stench of it filling the room like steam blowing in the air and the red that was splattered all over the room from the men's severed limbs and carcasses but the last thing that struck deep into his consciousness is the sobbing, shaking girl that curled up in a tight ball trying to escape the scene around them.

"Mr Fletcher?" The sound of Eis's voice hit the state of consciousness that froze him.

"Eis...what did I do?"

"You killed them Mr Fletcher….you slaughtered them all again" trying to escape the reality of the situation, Fletcher took a breathe then stood to his feet limping towards Freya who froze in place her terrified eyes glossing over Fletcher's bloody body.

"Freya get up" he knew that she's afraid of him, afraid of what he's become, limping back towards one of the men's corpse of it's lower half with his upper half ripped into like a grave and organs pulled out also used to strangle another man's neck, he fell on his knees unable to stand any longer splashing into the puddle of blood on his hands; the pain rippled across his body in waves exhausting him.

"Fletcher?" turning his body as best he could he saw Freya crawling across the couch, getting as close as she could to him without touching the floor.

"Are you okay?" Despite the blood that surrounded them and the violence he used to rip the men apart, she's still the strong and caring girl that did the best she could to be family to him even when she saw his shameful secret.

"I'm fine" Taking a breathe Fletcher reached into the man that wore the suit pants pocket and pulled out a small black wallet with the man's ID and bank card with a black key shaped like a shield that had the letter K on it, using his knees to push himself up causing an extreme strain on his body nearly made him collapse but he felt a small pinch in his wrist that turned into a cool feeling like wind blowing into the back of a sweaty neck.

"Nice and easy Mr Fletcher" on his feet Fletcher focused a mental image of a cane in his mind that created a light blue glow in his hand that created the same cane from his mind into his hand but made of ice with a pointed tip, going to Freya who initially backed away but Fletcher just scooped her into his arm holding her like an infant, it made her grip on to his redshirt in part fear part comfort as he walked out of the room; the feeling of the adrenaline coursing through his veins the only strength he has left, walking through the hallway he walked through a green sign above saying 'Exit', outside it was a dark alleyway with the pouring rain; that hit Fletcher's body which he used his cloak to cover both of them, there are three cars a small, armoured black car with currents on its sides a red sports car with black stripes and a giant black armoured SUV that beeped as Fletcher pressed the key's button.

"What car is this?" Fletcher said getting up a step then opening the door placing Freya inside who curled up in the seat then closing the door as Eis scanned the vehicle.

"Model Knight XV military based armoured SUV with six seats, bullet-proof glass, V-TEN engine, Six Power Chambers and a recharge rate of three Chambers per second" climbing inside the black leather driver's seat; he pulled his cloak back making a sort of ash appear in the air around him float onto the cloak making it hide away most of the blood and turn back into it's Dusty old black, Fletcher tested the powerful engine making it roar to life with its headlights filling the entire alleyway, setting it in first gear Fletcher drove into the night.

The night is reaching its fullest as they pulled up in front of the orphanage; the drive was completely silent only the sounds of Fletcher's ragged breaths from a developing pain of burning inside his chest, looking at the building it still had the lights on in the small living room and Freya is still asleep on the other side of the car, tapping her shoulder which made her jump shaking in not just fear but also the fact Fletcher out the car in the maximum cold setting so it felt like a walk-in freezer.

"You okay?" He said trying to act like anyone other than he would, she looked at him, on one hand, she looked nervous on the other it sprouted unrelenting anger.

"Who are you?" She said it so low he barely heard it until she looked him straight in the eyes.

"I thought I knew you, I knew you had a rough past from how you act and that's why you showed up at our doorstep, but after all this time you didn't tell us you kill people!?" He thought over everything he could have said but nothing seemed like it would stem her anger.

"What did you expect-" she slapped him so hard she held her hand with a wince after.

"Your not the Fletcher I know, your someone else entirely"

"Well that's life, prepare to get disappointed" she was going to raise her hand again but settled for looking at the orphanage instead unable to look at him, the silent tears running down her cheeks.

"What are you?" Gripping the steering wheel he kept his gaze straight ahead.

"I've been called a killer, a psychopath, an animal, and a monster, wouldn't surprise me if you said the same" hearing the slam of the car door he rested his head on the wheel with a drawled out sigh, his chest pains spreading to his stomach affecting his breathing further as the adrenaline wore off.

"It may be better this way Mr Fletcher, you know what happens when you let them get close," Eis said his voice projected through the cars radio with the screen showing a snowflake symbol.

"As a rhythm or pattern it's inevitable" starting the car again Fletcher was about to drive but heard a knock at the window, looking out of it surprisingly he saw Aline and her friends, letting the window down he rested his arm on it looking at the young girl.

"What?"

"Hey, Fletch we were wondering if we cou-"

"It's Fletcher, he said cutting her off making her stumble over her words.

"Uh yeah I knew that but it's sho-"

"I'm taller than you are, hurry up what do you want?" That shut her down quick which sparked Stephanie to jump in.

"Look we just need a ride back to school and we want to look cool in your sleek new car" Fletcher thought it over a few times within those few short seconds and every outcome screamed No but he just waved his hand signalling him to get in; which Stephanie got in the passenger seat Aline and the rest got in the back.

"We're making a pit stop first then to the Academy," Fletcher said making the engine speed off at high speeds.

After a couple of minutes of the five talking in hushed whispers after Fletcher told them to be quiet or he'll crash the car which they took seriously, they stopped at the front of a pharmacy called 'Western medicine'.

"Hey, Fletcher why are we here?" Stephanie asked looking inside the dimly lit shop as Fletcher unclipped his seat-belt.

"I just need something," Fletcher said stepping out of the car almost stumbling so he had to lean against the car seat.

"You okay Fletcher?" Aline said as they watched him wave them off, closed the door and limped towards the door getting inside.

"Did he look alright to you?" Kaiser asked looking at them all, getting shakes of heads in response

"I swear I smelt blood when we got in the car," Noah said which they agreed to.

"He was limping," Aline said

"And we're at a pharmacy, do you think he's you know?" Stephanie said making a smoking motion.

"I checked there's nothing like that in our room he's clean," Aline said at which they're conversation was cut short by Fletcher who walked out and got into the car.

"You get anything good?" Stephanie asked as she is the most comfortable around him, he threw a bag of gummy candy and a block of chocolate at each of them that they took graciously.

"Thanks, Fletcher" Kaiser said; as they all tore into their packets of candy wolfing it down in seconds, opening a small bottle of pills he took it like glass chewing the pills that tasted like rotten meat in his mouth most likely the blood that was left in there.

"What are those?" Noah asked the question on everyone's mind as he ate half the packet starting the car and pocketed the bottle.

"Painkillers," Fletcher said simply driving out of the parking lot.

"What are they for?" Stephanie asked trying to remember her medical training of what could happen if someone ate half a bottle of three-hundred grams of painkillers.

"What do you think?" he finished as they drove off into another bout of hushed whispers.

"Thanks for the ride," Aline said as they all mimicked her with thanks as they climbed out the ten-ton giant.

"It's fine" turning on the car he was about to drive off but Aline grabbed the window making him stop.

"You're not coming inside?" She asked as he rolled the window up slowly.

"No" speeding off he left a gush of dirt that flowed through their nostrils; coughing.

"Music Mr Fletcher?" Eis said switching it to an old day song which typically meant it was released last week.

"Thanks Eis" The music at first only served as a temporary distraction as he used the power Chambers that can boost the car to go faster than an aeroplane and a race car combined, but then the music seemed like it was intentionally placed: the artist sang about loss, loneliness, self-appreciation and to be who you are, but in Fletcher's case he would have killed everyone in sight if he became What he really is, when the song ended it ended in the artist speaking to what Fletcher assumes is the audience.

"Remember to be who you are and to love yourself, this was Dreamrock Thank you!" Gripping the wheel tighter Fletcher switched off the radio unintentionally increasing the gas reaching past one-hundred and fifty.

"Are you okay Mr Fletcher?" He looked at the white glowing snowflake that seemed to stare inside his soul.

"I'm fine Eis," he said unaware of the close corner then he just made onto the highway that only goes uphill towards district three 'Tomb of the gods' it's called, reaching two-hundred

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Eis," He said again as he reached three-hundred, four-hundred near the point of engine collapse at where it could explode but Fletcher didn't pay it any thought.

"Mr Fletcher" his foot stomped down on the pedal when the border-booth was in view; it's a giant hulking wall of scrap metal with metal spikes on the outside stopping any entrance from anywhere else that isn't the small narrow gateway that wasn't even open.

"Mr Fletcher?" increasing the car went faster and faster the booth getting bigger and closer every second.

"Mr Fletcher!" Suddenly the car jerked to a stop so hard the front and back wheels nearly got torn off by the sheer pressure alone and Fletcher's still weakened skull smashed into the car's dashboard launched him back letting him see what he hit in front of him, it was a hero unsurprisingly as he hadn't hit the booth yet, the car is still intact seemed undamaged but a pair of glowing red hooks held onto the top of the car creating little scratches but that's it, it didn't belong to the man as he was holding the bumper but a figure in darkness who like the man both of them jumped into the air disappearing.

"Mr Fletcher are you okay!?" Eis said a rare sign of emotion in his robotic voice for the man in the black cloak.

"What, what just happened?" Fletcher said feeling like his mind just exited a mysterious fog that clouded his consciousness.

"What is the last thing you remember Mr Fletcher?"

"I was driving then the song ended and I couldn't breathe"

"I suspect that your mind is near it's the breaking point, we need more grey death" popping more of the pills; crunching them in his teeth, he reached into his cloak and pulled out the dust rubbing it into his skin and hair dissolving the frost with a sigh of relief.

"You're lucky they came to save you"

"At this rate I think they'll prefer to save the city more than me" shifting the car back into it's it she turned around and burned rubber down the hill keeping it steady, then the sound of ringing reached his ear under the console lifting it up with one-phone handed out a black phone that connected to the car.

"Bonjour?" he said with the phone to his ear, keeping his hand on the wheel.

"Hello Fletcher" the woman's voice struck him as intelligent and calculative but also manipulative.

"What do you want?"

"Strange as that's my exact question for you, meet me at barnacle pier Now," she said hanging up the phone at which Fletcher placed it back in it's charging port.

"There is a high probability that it's going to be a trap"

"It usually is"

Driving along the seaside on the public sidewalk, the starry night was calling for the nerves but seemed to anger Fletcher immensely for some random reason, driving steady hearing the purrs of the engine and the crashing waves of the ocean below he saw another smaller car ahead with a group of men standing outside wearing different shades of black suits, black sunglasses and red ties in front of a lobster restaurant, stopping the car by pulling out the keys from the ignition he stepped out looking at the men as a woman stepped out at the same time wearing an orange jacket with green trousers and a black hat with blue feathers of a bird pointing towards the back.

"Mr Fletcher I can't begin to tell you how glad I am to finally meet you," she said with red ruby lips as Fletcher closed the door throwing the key to her as they walked towards each other.

"oh what is this?" she said catching it in her palm with a curious curious

"Your dealer's car key, take it and weep" she looked at the key at the golden letter imprinted inside it.

"I suppose you know why we're here?"

"information"

"precisely and do you know who I am?"

"Miss Flora gemstone, or otherwise known as the Diamond of Ghrem," he said as she got closer as did her men who took every advantage point.

"Ghrem, truth be told I haven't been to my family's castle in a long while"

"since you last killed them" he saw the glint of her blade being pulled out of her sleeves like a blistered lip, which he blocked with his gauntlet creating a spark fire.

"Don't. Speak. Of. Them. Again" she said with each word came another slice of her twin daggers and his gauntlet until he caught the tip of her blade inside the gauntlet and threw a hamster into her jaw making her face plant into the car behind her, he twin blades landing into the ocean.

"Freeze!" one of the men said making them all point small handguns from inside their jacket pockets at his head as Diamond stood up unscathed with lighting blue eyes.

"Your funny ain't ya, nice hook," she said stretching her back making several cracks in the air walking back towards him as he kept a cold glare towards all of them.

"I didn't come here for a fight and I'm sure you didn't either," she said throwing an uppercut in his jaw making him fly on the roof of the Knight XV making his nerves sing with pain but also an all too familiar feeling.

"Seems you've lost your edge Fletcher," she said as he dropped to his knee spitting out a spit bubble of blood onto the ground, then standing with a crack to his neck.

"I don't lose my edge, but I did lose my patience" he felt the need to crush her skull into a bloody pull pulp squashed orange but she knew more than he did and that's what counts for the long run.

"Regardless I came here to send a message for my darling husband" Strutting over to him she may be ahead of him but she cupped the edge of his chin in her hand bringing his gaze to her eyes.

"Stop looking for something that will get you killed, Whatever you're looking for it will only lead to your death" swiping her hand away she just smiled then walked away to her car with a sway to her hips a form of distraction as he caught a thin steel knife in his fingertips an inch from his eyeball.

"Wish I had someone like you on my merry crew," she said climbing into her car while sliding the roof to climb out if it.

"I don't work for money anymore" she pouted but reached into her jacket then throwing the same silver key he passed to her at him.

"Keep the car call it a gift for our further cooperation" The men slowly got inside the car one by one while keeping their iron sights on him.

"Cooperation?" With a smile, she held a mischievous going in her eyes like a rebellious child which in a way she still is.

"There was a man who once worked for a Shadowy organization which led to his untimely death, his name was Egor Karine have fun" Closing the hatch she and her men left him on the pier with a military-tank of a car and no will to use it.

"Mr Fletcher I have fo-"

"Not now Eis I need a minute," he said spitting another spit bubble of blood to the ground walking towards the car, his legs feeling like it was near collapse.

"Of course Mr Fletcher" sitting on the hood of the car, the cloak of darkness split into ash that peeled off the piece of attire, breathing a sigh of content he felt the peaceful air return to the atmosphere now that Diamond and her men have left, reaching into his cloaks inner-pocket he released a photograph from its prison that resided deep within it, leaning back against the windshield he looked into the colourless-photo that held four men wearing varying types of clothes, holding different assortments of weapons inside a beautiful forest behind them is a magnificent lake that's water glowed with beauty; and on the first left side is the tallest man that wore a cloak with scythe in hand, feeling the rising sunset at the edge of the earth he laid to rest for what felt like a millennia.

END.

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